Researchers have found a way to specifically kill liver cancer cells and stop tumor growth. In the January issue of Gastroenterology, Guangming Chen et al. report that fusion of a natural inhibitor of telomerase to an HIV protein stops proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and growth of liver tumors

Baked goods made from fully hydrolyzed wheat flour, manufactured with sourdough lactobacilli and fungal proteases, are safe for patients with celiac disease, according to the January issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Celiac disease is caused by an inflammatory response to wheat gluten. Luigi Greco et al. gave patients with celiac

Patients with Cowden syndrome (CS) are at high risk for early-onset colorectal cancer, according to the December issue of Gastroenterology. CS is caused by mutations in the tumor suppressor gene phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). Patients typically have mucocutaneous lesions, large-sized heads, and increased risk for breast, thyroid, and endometrial

HIV infection does not speed the progression of fibrosis in patients with Hepatitis C, according to findings from Richard Sterling et al. in the December issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Sterling et al. compared liver biopsies taken from more than 300 patients with HIV/HCV co-infection and more than 200

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) had significant improvements in bowel habits and reductions in abdominal pain after taking a new drug called linaclotide, reports a study published in the December issue of Gastroenterology. Jeffrey M. Johnston et al. performed a placebo-controlled phase 2 trial of 4 different doses of

Recurring and intense skin lesions cause one-third of patients that take anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to discontinue treatment, reports Jean–François Rahier et al. in the December issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Anti-TNF agents are used to treat patients with a variety of immune

Genetic features of many patients with Crohn’s disease affect the ability of their intestinal cells to undergo autophagy—a form of self-digestion that allows them to fight pathogenic bacteria, according to a study by Craig Homer et al. in the November issue of Gastroenterology. Crohn’s disease is believed to be caused

Hospitals can spend millions of dollars removing foreign objects—pens, batteries, and even razor blades—intentionally swallowed by patients, according to the November issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. These cases are unusual but costly for the hospitals that deal with them. Brian Huang et al. found that at Rhode Island Hospital,

Coffee—caffeinated or decaffeinated—protects liver and gastrointestinal cells from toxic compounds, according to Sandra Kalthoff et al. in the November issue of Gastroenterology. In many epidemiology studies, coffee consumption reduced the risk of inflammation, chronic liver diseases, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and other GI disorders. Its mechanisms are unclear, however, because coffee

Gastric electrical stimulation (GES) reduces nausea and vomiting and improves quality of life in diabetic patients with gastroparesis, according to Richard W. McCallum et al. in the November issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. McCallum et al. studied 55 diabetic patients with gastroparesis (delayed gastric emptying, which leads to vomiting,

Liver biopsies are relatively safe and well tolerated among patients with advanced chronic hepatitis C, based on data from the HALT-C trial. Liver biopsy analysis provides information for diagnosis and planning of treatment strategies for patients with acute and chronic liver diseases, such as chronic hepatitis C infection. However, biopsies

Colonoscopy screening reduces mortality from cancers of the distal, but not proximal, colon, according to a study published in the October issue of Gastroenterology. Harminder Singh et al. studied mortality from CRC among more than 55,000 people that had received screening colonoscopies, compared with the general population. They found that

Men and smokers have the greatest risk for developing colorectal neoplasms—even more than people with a family history of this cancer—according to Michael Hoffmeister et al. in the October issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Current guidelines recommend that individuals with a family history of colorectal cancer (CRC), inflammatory bowel

As more patients have undergone imaging examinations for various disorders, physicians have detected pancreatic cysts with increasing frequency. Some cysts become malignant yet many remain asymptomatic. However, the prevalence of pancreatic cysts among healthy individuals has not been established—it is important to determine how common these are, to devise strategies

About the Author

Dr. Kristine Novak is the science editor for Gastroenterology and Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. She has worked as an editor at biomedical research journals and as a science writer for 15 years, covering advances in gastroenterology, hepatology, cancer, immunology, biotechnology, molecular genetics, and clinical trials. She has a PhD in cell biology and an interest in all areas of medical research.